Sen. Sanders wants nuke-license pause

By Robert Schroeder

The United States shouldn’t license any nuclear plants until a presidential commission on nuclear safety in the U.S. finishes an independent review, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont says.

In a letter to President Obama, Sanders, an independent who describes himself as a democratic socialist, calls on the president to set up a commission in the aftermath of the nuclear disaster in Japan and to pause licensing and re-licensing of nuclear power plants.

Sanders notes in the letter, released on Sunday, that Obama has already ordered the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to carry out a complete review of nuclear safety in the U.S. But Sanders said that an NRC review is “not good enough” and urged Obama to set up a presidential inquiry immediately.

The senator also urged Obama to withdraw a request for $36 billion in funding for nuclear power expansion.

Obama has defended the use of nuclear energy in the U.S. even after the disaster in Japan. – Robert Schroeder

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MarketWatch is providing continuous coverage of the catastrophe in Japan, focusing on the global investing, business and human dimensions of the crisis. The editors are Christopher Noble and Alexander Davis.